WNBA's Brittney Griner arrested in Russia on drug charges

[ForgoTheConsequence]

Source: AP

WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner was arrested last month at a Moscow airport after Russian authorities said a search of her luggage revealed vape cartridges.

The Russian Customs Service said Saturday that the cartridges were identified as containing oil derived from cannabis, which could carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The customs service identified the person arrested as a player for the U.S. women’s team and did not specify the date of her arrest. Russian media reported the player was Griner, and her agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas, did not dispute those reports.



Read more: https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-entertainment-sports-moscow-brittney-griner-7b2cfe5f9726c8620251e85ad5aa6bc9

[Kittycatkat]

1. Luckily that did not happen this month...

[ForgoTheConsequence]

2. she is still being detained.

The news is just coming out now. She has been detained for 3 weeks.

[Kittycatkat]

5. How very terrifying. Hopefully Biden will do a prisoner swap to get all Americans out of Russia.

[PoliticAverse]

18. What prisoners does the U.S. have to swap for? n/t

[Kittycatkat]

19. I'm pretty there are plenty of Russians in American prisons. Let Putin pick.

[GB_RN]

3. 10 Years For Cannabis Oil Vape?

Jesus H. Christ on a stick. That's insane.

[yaesu]

7. Another good reason to never, ever travel to countries controlled by a totalitarian regime. nt

[GB_RN]

14. Yeah.

I’d love to see things in China, but not willing to risk being made a victim of anything by the CCP, just because they could.

[Igel]

27. Always be familiar with the laws and customs of where you're going.

When I spent time abroad I asked around. I see postings on SEELangs from new-ish faculty asking what are the obvious things their students heading for study abroad should take and do and what they under no circumstances should take or do.

When in Rome ... Or the Russian equivalent, "Don't take your order's rulebook to another monastery."

[hlthe2b]

8. Whoever did not do their job putting fear of "gawd" in those traveling regions like Russia,

the Middle East, Turkey parts of Asia, and other counties governed by regimes with authoritarian rule and a decided lack of civil rights protections about how they view drugs--almost any drug has a lot to answer for. Of course, these players are adults and should have informed themselves, but given many Americans don't have much appreciation for the differences and risks of the wider world, I am not surprised they do not.

None of this is new. It has long been the case that even Asian countries like Singapore take a dim view of drugs, any drugs, and yes, even cannabis residue. How could the WNBA not have had a discussion with these players before traveling?

I fear for her ability to be released without facing the impacts of all that is going on now. Not good.

[GB_RN]

15. If The WNBA Didn't Do An "Educational Service"...

It fell down on the job. But yeah, Brittney should still have had better judgment. Authoritarian countries and any Muslim nation is a no-go with drugs.

[PoliticAverse]

17. It isn't the WNBA, Griner plays for a team in Russian Premier League during the winter.

https://wikipedia.org/wiki/UMMC_Ekaterinburg

[yaesu]

4. I wonder if this was reported last month or was this being hushed up for some reason

would be interesting to find out. Regardless, sadly, she will now be used as a pawn, probably one of many.

[ToxMarz]

6. I have sympathy for her situation, but

I can't know if she forgot she had it or didn't care, but that is just a stupid thing to do, TRAVELING ANYWHERE.

[Peregrine Took]

9. +100 n/t

[yaesu]

11. There was a time in the US, post 1952, when a first-offense marijuana possession carried a minimum

sentence of 2-10 years with a fine of up to $20,000 ($212,187 in todays money). In 1970 Congress finally repealed most of the mandatory penalties for drug-related offenses. But, it all started up again under Raygon in 1986.

[GB_RN]

12. Ramping Nixon's War On Drugs...

And making it worse by militarizing the police, and mandatory minimums, etc.

St Ronnie Raygun was anything but…

[Dopers_Greed]

10. I've flown with vape carts domestically

But would NEVER take them out of the country. That's practically begging for prison time.

[GB_RN]

13. Flew With One For A Friend...

From CO to NC, but yeah. I’d never go out of the country with any.

Don’t know that I’d do it with even regular vape carts.

[róisín_dubh]

31. I take gummies to sleep in the US

but Benadryl has to do when I’m abroad (as at the moment).

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

16. Are any other Americans playing on Russian teams? Any team, any sport?

Get out now.

[Sneederbunk]

20. Inopportune time to be playing on a Russian team and

vaping cannabis oil. May have difficulty getting widespread US sympathy.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

21. We should hold some Russian spies to trade for Brittney

Link to tweet

[Sneederbunk]

24. Do we really want to trade a Russian employee for a Russian employee?

[Mawspam2]

26. Tucker Carlson.

[Martin68]

22. Very stupid of any American to be carrying anything related to cannabis in a country like Russia.

the risk is simply not worth it. She should have known better. You can add Japan, Turkey, Iran, North Korea, and many other countries to that list.

[mackdaddy]

23. "Oil derived from Cannabis" sounds like the CDB oil they advertise like crazy here.

May be perfectly legal in much of the US, but obviously not such a good idea to take to a totalitarian Mob run state like Russia.

Hope she can get it straightened out. According to former US ambassador McFaul there are several US citizens being held in Russian prisons unjustly in his opinion.

[LisaL]

25. Other articles refer to it as hashish.

NT

[GB_RN]

29. My Understanding Is That CBD Is Usually Derived From Hemp.

I do know from my chemistry classes that while it’s chemically identical to THC, it’s structurally different from THC.

There is some CBD in cannabis, but not much. Same in reverse: There’s a little THC found in hemp, but not enough to get you high, and in both cases, not really enough to make it worth the $ trying to collect it.

[oasis]

30. Who the hell would seek getting a drug "high" in a place run by machine heads?

[WhiskeyGrinder]

32. Lotta people on this thread taking the word of the Russian Customs Service at face value.

The first cop to abolish is the one in your head.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

33. A+

Until we get a statement from Griner herself (on home soil, not coerced) people should reserve judgment.